Cricket Ephemera

Lot 1:

Surrey C.C.C. 1875. Rare and very early official fixture card for the 1875 season with home and away fixtures for County matches, Surrey Club and Ground matches, dates of meetings etc. 'By order of the Committee. C.W. Alcock, Secretary. 1st May 1875' to lower border. 3"x4.5". Minor foxing and ageing, otherwise in good/ very good condition

Estimate: £70/100

Hammer price: £65

Official County Championship placings were not introduced until 1890. In 1875 Surrey played ten County matches, winning three, losing five and drawing two

Lot 2:

Surrey C.C.C. 1877. Rare and very early official fixture card for the 1877 season with home and away fixtures for County, representative, Surrey Club and Ground matches, dates of meetings etc. 'By order of the Committee. C.W. Alcock, Secretary. 1st May 1877" to lower border. 3"x4.5". Some foxing and ageing, otherwise in good/ very good condition

Estimate: £70/100

Hammer price: £70

Official County Championship placings were not introduced until 1890. In 1877 Surrey played twelve County matches, winning six, losing three and drawing three

Lot 3:

Surrey C.C.C. 1884. Rare and very early official folding fixture card for the 1884 season with home and away fixtures for County, representative, Test, tour, Surrey Club and Ground matches etc. 'C.W. Alcock, Secretary' to front cover. 3"x4.5". Minor foxing and ageing, otherwise in good/ very good condition

Estimate: £60/90

Hammer price: £60

In 1884 Surrey played sixteen County matches, winning seven, losing four and drawing five. The third and final Test match against Australia (the sixth Test match ever to be played, the third in England) was played at The Oval, 11th-13th August. In a high scoring draw Australia scored 551 in their first innings, top scorers were Murdoch (211), McDonnell (103) and Scott (102). Unusually, all eleven England players bowled including the wicket keeper, Lyttleton, who took four wickets for nineteen runs. England's top scorer was Read with 117 runs. England won the three match Test series 1-0

Lot 4:

Surrey C.C.C. 1890. Rare and very early official folding fixture card for the 1890 season with home and away fixtures for County, representative, Test, tour, Surrey Club and Ground matches etc. 3"x4.5". VG

Estimate: £40/60

Hammer price: £35

When County Championship placings were introduced in 1887 Surrey were Champions from 1887 to 1892, including the 1890 season, the first to be officially organised by the Counties. Surrey played fourteen matches, winning nine, losing three and drawing two. Surrey also played the Australian tourists at The Oval, 22nd-24th May 1890 (Australians won by eight wickets) and 17th-19th July 1890 (match drawn). The Oval also hosted the second Test match against Australia, 11th-12th August 1890, which England won by two wickets

Lot 5:

Surrey C.C.C. 1891. Rare and very early official folding fixture card for the 1891 season with home and away fixtures for County, representative, Surrey Club and Ground matches etc. 3"x4.5". VG

Estimate: £40/60

Hammer price: £45

Surrey were County Champions in 1891, playing sixteen matches of which twelve were won, three lost and two drawn

Lot 6:

Surrey C.C.C. 1892. Rare and very early official folding fixture card for the 1892 season with home and away fixtures for County, representative, tour, Surrey Club and Ground matches etc. 3"x4.5". Horizontal fold, otherwise in good/ very good condition

Estimate: £40/60

Hammer price: £40

Surrey were County Champions in 1892, playing sixteen matches of which thirteen were won, two lost and one drawn

Lot 7:

Cambridge University C.C. 1911. Original red leather folding Life Member ticket issued to H.W.G. Betteridge. The card with gilt emblem to front and lettering to inside. VG

Harold Larwood. Nottinghamshire & England 1924-1938. Pair of 'Test Cricket Centenary 1877-1977' blue red and silver commemorative cuff links, by Lega, presented to Larwood when he attended the match and festivities in Melbourne in 1977. In original box with handwritten inscription to inside box lid 'Given to R.P.C. by Harold Larwood 2.8.77'. Sold with Larwood's Honorary Life Membership card for M.C.C. 1968, Larwood's name and address in Sydney, Australia printed to inside. Good condition

Estimate: £60/90

Hammer price: £150

The cuff links and membership card were given to the vendors father by Larwood, who was a good friend of the family and often stayed with them

Lot 10:

Stoics Cricket Club. Early 'List of Matches' folding fixture cards for 1879, 1881, 1886, 1888-1890 and 1894. Also two 'Rules and List of Members' booklets for 1885 and 1888, and a fixture card for two tours, date unknown. Odd faults, otherwise in good condition. Qty 10

Estimate: £60/90

Hammer price: unsold

It is believed that the Stoics Cricket Club was founded in 1877, originally for the old boys of Westminster School. Notable players who appeared include A.E. Stoddart, C.J. Kortwright and R.W.V. Robins, but it was while playing for Hampstead against Stoics in a one day match in 1886 that Stoddart scored 485 in a total of 813 for 9, the Stoics not getting a bat

Lot 11:

Australia. Surrey United Cricket Club, New South Wales. Original printed card with gilt edges announcing the 'Annual Dinner' to be held 7th July 1882. To verso are players batting and bowling averages for the 1881/82 season. Odd minor faults, otherwise in good/ very good condition

Estimate: £50/80

Hammer price: £42

Lot 12:

Lancashire v Surrey 1870. Original copy of the Manchester Evening News for 27th May 1870. The four page issue includes a thirty line report on the first day's play at Old Trafford (Surrey 103, Lancashire 96 for 6). This was the first match of the season and the benefit game for F.R. Reynolds 'who had been the professional bowler of the Manchester club for a period of ten years'. Odd faults and minor loss, otherwise in good condition

Estimate: £50/80

Hammer price: unsold

Frederick Reginald Evans (Lancashire 1865-1874) was manager of Old Trafford cricket ground from 1860 to 1908

Lot 13:

Wallasey Cricket Club 1925-1960s. A collection of official printed and typed reports, meeting agendas, accounts, averages etc for the period. G

Estimate: £20/30

Hammer price: unsold

Lot 14:

New Brighton Cricket Club 1914-1990s. A collection of official printed and typed reports, meeting agendas, accounts, averages etc for the period. G

Estimate: £20/30

Hammer price: unsold

Lot 15:

Three original 'Alec Bedser Charts exclusively each week in the Sunday Chronicle', 'Batting Guide', 'Bowling Guide' and Fielding Guide' 1954. Each measures 11"x19". The Bowling and Fielding guides in good condition, some wear and tear to the Batting guide

Estimate: £20/30

Hammer price: £10

Lot 16:

American cricket 1970s. Scrapbook comprising newspaper cuttings, the majority copies, of articles relating to American cricket, in particular around New York and Staten Island including items relating to the centenary of State Island Cricket Club in 1972. G

Estimate: £30/50

Hammer price: £42

Lot 17:

Cricket scrapbook 1870s/1890s. Early cricket scrapbook comprising printed cuttings, scorecards, photographs etc with some handwritten annotations and descriptions, collected by William Wright, Manager of the Cricket Press, publishers of pamphlets and brochures on cricket in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The articles relate to the history and development of cricket and includes a trimmed original scorecard for John Lillywhite's Farewell Benefit match, Gentlemen v Players, Brighton 14th-16th August 1871 in which Grace scored 217 for the Gentlemen in their second innings. Also two real photograph bookplates of W.G. Grace and Alfred Shaw, an original member's ticket for a 'Smoking Concert' held at Assembly Rooms, Eyre Arms given by St. John's Wood (Hampstead) Cricket Club, 13th April 1877, a full page handwritten transcription of an article 'copied from the Annual Register of 1827' etc. Some pages loose, generally good condition

Estimate: £80/120

Hammer price: £135

The following six lots were compiled by George Neville Weston who is renowned as being probably the greatest historian and biographer of W.G. Grace, in particular his attention to the detail of minor matches in which Grace played throughout his career. In the forward to Weston's book 'W.G. Grace The Great Cricketer' published in 1973, Irving Rosenwater quotes A.A. Thompson saying Weston 'knows more about W.G. than any man alive', to which Rosenwater adds, 'or dead'

Lot 18:

'W.G. The First Fifty Years 1848-1898'. Large green leather album compiled by the cricket writer and biographer, George Neville Weston, comprising photograph cuttings of the Grace family and home at Downend, Bristol, typed scorecards of early matches in which Grace played, a typed list of matches in which Grace played in 1880, a cutting of an article written by W.G. regarding the death in 1880 of his brother, George Frederick, two weeks after the three brothers had represented England against Australia. The album also comprises family history and cuttings relating to cricketers contemporary to Grace. Sold with a further album comprising correspondence relating to Grace from other cricket historians and collectors including Irvine Rosenwater and R.E.D. Rawlins, a mono copy photograph of a miniature of Grace by Louise Townsend which hangs in the City Art Gallery, Bristol. Also postcards of Grace including Rotary Series no. 3801B, the Crystal Palace Cricket Ground, copies of letters written by Grace etc. Odd faults, otherwise in good condition. Qty 2

Estimate: £100/150

Hammer price: £90

Lot 19:

George Neville Weston. W.G. Grace biographer. Four scrapbooks and two exercise books compiled by Weston. Each scrapbook relates to different aspects of Grace's life and cricketing career. Titles are 'W.G. James Lillywhite's Cricketer's Annual 1886' comprising summaries of Grace's batting and bowling statistics for 1864-1886 in Weston's own hand. 'W.G. Matchbox labels' comprising cuttings, newsletters and correspondence to and from Weston relating to matchbox labels featuring Grace. 'Dr W.G. Grace Depicted on Cigarette Cards. A Guide' comprising handwritten notes relating to specific cigarette cards on which Grace is featured. 'Coloured Caricature of W.G. Grace at "The Cricketers" Kingston-upon-Thames' comprising correspondence relating to a caricature of Grace hanging in 'The Cricketers' pub and Weston's efforts to establish the origin of and to obtain a photograph of the print. The two exercise books are indexes handwritten by Weston relating to articles written about Grace in Wisden etc. Qty 6. G

Estimate: £100/150

Hammer price: £90

Lot 20:

George Neville Weston. W.G. Grace biographer. Five scrapbooks compiled by Weston. Each scrapbook relates to different aspects of Grace's life and cricketing career. Titles are 'From the Thames to the Seine by H. Lawrence Swinburne' comprising cuttings of an article published in 'Black and White' on 31st December 1898 relating to a cross-channel balloon trip seen off from Crystal Palace by Grace. 'The Late Mr Joseph Benjamin Rider ("The last man to have taken W.G.'s wicket (c&b)"?) comprising press cuttings relating to the death of Rider in 1963 and related typed correspondence from Weston. 'W.G. Grace and Osbert Sitwell'. Sitwell, poet, playwright and novelist , was down down for M.C.C. membership by Grace at birth, but correspondence including a letter from Diana Rait Kerr, Curator of the Lord's Museum can find no record of Sitwell having been a member. Other contents relate to Sitwell's mother's family, the Londesboroughs, and their connections with cricket at Scarborough. 'Mrs Elizabeth Haley (Grand-daughter of Dr E.M. Grace) also Grace family v Robinson family in 1891' comprising typed notes and correspondence relating to this branch of the Grace family. Also notes relating to a cricket match between the Grace and Robinson families played at Ashley Down, Bristol, 20th August 1891. 'Mrs Mabel (Gertrude) Grace', sister-in-law of W.G. with correspondence from The Solicitors' Law Stationery Society and local newspapers relating to Ernest and Mabel Grace including Mabel's original death certificate dated 18th July 1961. G

Estimate: £100/150

Hammer price: £90

Lot 21:

George Neville Weston. W.G. Grace biographer. Six scrapbooks compiled by Weston. Each scrapbook relates to different aspects of Grace's life and cricketing career. Subjects covered include W.G. 'playing for both sides' in a London County v Worcester Park Beagles in 1907, and also his last appearance in a Gentlemen v Players match, played at The Oval, 16th-18th July 1907, in which Grace scored 74 in the Gentlemen's second innings. The album contains typed transcripts of articles and scores and press cuttings relating to the two matches. 'W.G. and Bedfordshire' comprising details of matches played by Grace around 1899 and 1900, Grace's connections with R.S. 'Bob' Sievier, a notable benefactor of Bedfordshire County Cricket Club in their efforts to establish minor county status. 'Merchant Taylors' School' with correspondence relating to matches played by Grace for London County and M.C.C. against the school in 1901, 1910 and 1914. 'W.G. at Buntingford, Herts' comprising correspondence relating to a match W.G. Grace's XI v W.R. Gilbert's XI played at Buntingford on 30th April 1875, also a good selection of original mono postcards of Buntigford village in very good condition. 'Ilmington Stone Carving' comprising two original mono photographs and correspondence relating to a stone carving of a bust of Grace over the gateway of a house in Ilmington, Warwickshire. 'W.G. at Walsall (1874-1875-1883)' comprising typed transcriptions of matches played by Grace at the Cuckery Ground, Walsall, also later correspondence relating to those matches and details of a talk given by Weston to the Rotary Club of Walsall in 1958. G

Estimate: £100/150

Hammer price: £130

Lot 22:

George Neville Weston. W.G. Grace biographer. Five scrapbooks compiled by Weston. Each scrapbook relates to different aspects of Grace's life and cricketing career. Subjects covered include 'W.G. Grace at Home ('Olympia' 1887)' comprising a lengthy typed transcription and cuttings from an article on Grace which appeared in the magazine, 'Olympia, a monthly miscellany of sports and pastimes' in 1887. Also typed statistics of Grace's bowling achievements 1865-1882 and centuries scored 1872-1881. 'W.G. The Scots Observer 1889 and The National Observer 1891' including correspondence from Diana Rait Kerr, Curator of the Lord's Museum, Michael Pugh of M.C.C.,and also the British Museum Newspaper Library relating to articles, with typed transcripts and cuttings, that appeared in both publications. 'W.G. in the "Boy's Own Paper"' with cuttings and correspondence with Jack Cox, the author of an article on Grace which appeared in the paper in 1960, and how Grace had introduced his brother-in-law, W.J. Gordon, to the paper as a staff writer. 'England v Australia, Lord's 1884 July 21-23. Sketches from the "Graphic" etc' with typed scores for the second Test played at Lord's and copies of sketches by George H. Cooper, which originally appeared in the 'Graphic' of players who featured in the match, four of which featured Grace. 'W.G. "The Bystander" 1906 July 4 to Sept 12' comprising cuttings from 'The Bystander' which appeared in 1906, in which Grace is strongly featured. G

Estimate: £100/150

Hammer price: unsold

Lot 23:

George Neville Weston. W.G. Grace biographer. Five scrapbooks compiled by Weston. Each scrapbook relates to different aspects of Grace's life and cricketing career. Subjects covered include 'W.G. Result of an advertisement in "John O'London's February 25th 1960' comprising a cutting of a classified advertisement placed by Weston asking for 'anything relating to this great cricketer. Resulting correspondence includes six handwritten responses, offering Grace's signature and books for sale etc. 'G.L. Jessop on W.G.' comprising cuttings of Jessop's article on Grace which appeared in the 'M.C.C. Book for the Young Cricketer' published in 1951, also cuttings from Punch, 12th September 1896. 'Lord's 1874' relating to the book, 'Arlott and Trueman on Cricket' published in 1977. Correspondence relates to Weston trying to obtain a copy of a picture of Grace that appeared in the book with letters from the B.B.C. Stephen Gree, Curator of the M.C.C. museum, also the Cooper-Bridgman Library. 'British Broadcasting Museum "Today from the South West" (Bristol) "Good Morning Wales" (Cardiff) Oct 22nd 1965' comprising correspondence relating to Weston asking for transcripts of interviews relating to Grace, and a script for the piece broadcast on the Welsh home Service in 1965. 'W.G.' 1960 & 1959. Interesting letters and enclosures from my friends...' comprising a good selection of handwritten letters and cuttings. G

Estimate: £100/150

Hammer price: unsold

Lot 24:

England tour to Australia 1894/95. 'Sporting Sketches'. Copy of the magazine for 18th March 1895. The front cover has a portrait of 'The Hero of the Hour- J.T. Brown' in batting pose, taken from a Hawkins original. Brown's 140 in England's second innings in the fifth Test in Melbourne (1st-6th March) had secured a win in the five-Test series by three matches to two. Page five comprises an article by W. Brockwell, 'Our Trip to the Antipodes', being an account of the tourists' visit to Broken Hill and Dandenong in January 1895 where matches were played. Page seven features cameo photographs of the 'England v Australia- The Victorious [English] Team'. Horizontal fold, some tears and wear, generally in good condition

Estimate: £100/150

Hammer price: £90

Lot 25:

'Early Cricket'. The scrapbook of Ernest Short. The scrapbook is a copy of E.V. Lucas's 'The Hambledon Men' of 1907 extensively extended with the inclusion of pictures, newspaper cuttings, typed notes etc, much referring to cricket later than the original book, so that the finished scrapbook is 3" thick, and bound in green calf with the spine title of 'Early Cricket'. Ex libris E.H. Short' in gilt. The majority of the additions to the original book are magazine and newspaper cuttings accumulated during Short's time in London. Notable contents include a candid sepia photograph of Patsy Hendren, Sydney Southerton journalist and editor of Wisden 1934/35, White, Chapman, Tate and Hammond on the 1928/29 England tour in Australia at a railway station. Signatures of nine of the contributors to a BBC Radio Empire Programme 'Back to the Pavilion: Recollections of Lord's', mainly professional actors such as Norman Shelley, but also Plum Warner and Arthur Mailey. A two page typed letter from E.V. Lucas dated 4th December 1905, inviting contributions for the Misses Nyren fund. A typed article on Bonner with handwritten amendments written from his home address of 2, Whitehall Court, SW1. A signed postcard dated 10th June 1946 from C.B. Fry at Hamble inviting Short and any others he wishes to his box at Lord's for three forthcoming matches etc. Wear and bowing to covers, generally good condition

Estimate: £250/350

Hammer price: unsold

Ernest Short (1875-1959), an Australian, was for a time the London correspondent of a Melbourne paper. He wrote some books from the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s on art, sculpture, etc

Lot 26:

John Arlott. Blue album comprising a good selection of photographs, scorecards, press cuttings etc from Arlott's personal archive. Photographs include large candid photographs of Arlott with Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie and Leo Harrison on the Isle of Wight. A press photograph of a Guernsey cricket team including Arlott and Frank Tyson. A BBC commentary team at Lord's including Arlott, F.R. Brown, Rex Alston, E.W. Swanton, Roy Webber etc. Arlott with C.L. Vincent of South Africa. Other items include a postcard of Captain Cook's Cottage, Melbourne, sent by Mike Brearley to Arlott during the official 1978/79 tour to Australia, overshadowed by Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, in which Brearley states 'That aspect of life, patently, has not improved (tho it did at Sydney). I should not like to lose in Australia'. Official invitation from East Molseley C.C. to attend the match against Australia, 26th April 1953, the first match of the Australian tour. Official scorecard for England v Australia, Lord's 28th August to 2nd September 1980, Arlott's final Test match commentary etc. G/VG

Estimate: £150/250

Hammer price: £180

Lot 27:

WITHDRAWN

Bob Appleyard. A box containing a large collection of correspondence relating to the return of first-class cricket to Bradford Park Avenue, and other Yorkshire C.C.C. committee correspondence. Sold with a box containing a large collection of cricket-related and other newspaper cuttings. All ex Bob Appleyard collection. Two boxes. G